Windrow forming deflector



Oct. 8, 1963 R. INGRAM WINDROW FORMING DEFLECTOR Filed Aug. 25. 1961 INVEN TOR.

ROY ING RAM BY ATTORNEY United States Patent O 3,106,052 WINDROW FORMINGDEFLECTOR Roy Ingram, 607 Richardson, Artesia, N. Mex. Filed Aug. 2S,1961, Ser. No. 133,872 4 Claims. (Cl. 56-1) This invention relates tocrop treating implements such as hay conditioners of the type adapted topass over previously harvested crop as hay, for example, picking up aswath, crushing or otherwise treating the material by means of rollersor the like, and throwing it out in a stream of comparable width in arearward and generally upward direction. It relates especially to aguide or deflector to confine the stream being discharged to a form thatassures a uniform curing of the crop after it is deposited on theground.

Crop treating implements such as hay crushers or conditioners, becauseof the length of the rollers that engage the crop, permit the latter tofan out laterally on the ground into a shallow layer or swath. Thesemachines are of the general type shown in the patents to Reed 2,345,715,and Cunningham 2,711,622. In this type of crop conditioning, it is knownthat the crop would cure better if compacted or formed into a windrow,and an object or the invention is to generally improve crop conditionersalong these lines.

Another object of this invention is to provide a windrow-forming guideor dellector that will direct the crop being discharged from a cropconditioner to form a windrow so as to eiect improved curing.

Another object is to provide a guide means or deflector that will engagestreams of various densities and thereby control the width of theresulting windrows.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparentfrom a consideration of the following detailed description taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings, wherein an illustrative,preferred embodiment of the invention is shown. However, it is tobeunderstood that the invention is not limited to the details disclosed,but includes all such variations and modifications as fall within thespirit of the invention.

Referring to the drawing:

FG. l is a fragmentary elevational side view of a typical cropconditioner or crop treating implement with parts broken away and towhich the invention is attached.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a portion of the invention as viewed at 2 2 ofFIG.v l.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary section taken at 3 3 of FlG. 2.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken at 4 4 of FIG. 3, and

FIG. 5 is a diagrammatic plan view of a portion of the invention showingthe progress of a stream of crop material being acted upon by theelements of this invention.

A portion of a typical machine is shown in FIG. l, having a pair ofcrop-treating rollers 12 and 14 which are mounted for rotation in thedirection of arrows 17 and 19 and within a casing 16 and power driven. Adischarge region or opening 1'8 is provided rearwardly in casing 16Vfrom which a crop 20 is discharged with considerable force and velocityafter passing between rollers 12 and 14.

The crop 20, as it leaves therollers is directed upwardly andrearwardly, as indicated in FlG. l, and by a directional line 2l, as inFIG. 3, and with sufficient force to travel a considerable distance ifnot intercepted. A hood, baffle, or support 24 of a transverse widthsubstantially that of casing i6 is provided, Which is of sheet metal inthis instance, and positioned generally upwardly and rearwardlyrelatively to the rollers 12 and 14 and over the discharge region 18.Hood y24 is pivoted to the ICC casing 16 in the manner shown in FIGS. 1and 2 by pivot means 26. This pivot means is conventional and need notbe further described except to say that it permits the hood 24 to pivotfreely about a transverse axis and permits adjustment of fthe hood for apurpose which will be made clear as this description progresses. Hood 24extends generally rearwardly as shown, and includes a panel 2S and asecond panel portion 30, which is disposed at an angle to the panel 28.Portion 30 terminates in a lip 32 which provides the necessary stiffnessfor the panel 30. Panels 28` and 30 are given fore-and-aft stiffness bydownwardly-extending lips 34 and 35.

. Hood 24 is supported in any of several selective positions by means ofadjustment lbars 36, one being located at each end of panel 28 adjacentlip 34. Brackets or supports 3S are provided, one being secured tocasing 16- at each end of the latter in any conventional manner andwhich brackets can be of angle iron or other suitable form. Brackets 38extend rearwardly to `a convenient point above hood 24. Adjustment bars36 are pivoted at their upper ends on pivot bolts 40er other suitablemeans, so as to swing freely. Holes 42 are provided in bars 36 havinglongitudinal spacing along the bars, as shown. `One of thesey holes ineach of bars 3d is selectively engaged with a clamp bolt 44 which isinserted in a hole provided in one of the anges 34 of panel 23. Thus,several positions of adjustment of hood 24 can be selected, dependingupon the density of the crop being treated -or other conditions, inorder to obtain the proper interception and windrowing of the crop thatis being discharged rearwardly by the treating rollers 12 and 14.

An adjustable deecting panel or baille 46 is provided which isco-extensive with detlecting panel 30 and which extends generallyrearwardly and downwardly adjacent the lip 32. Detlecting panel 46 isprovided with pivot brackets 48 which are Iwelded or otherwise securedto the ends of the panel. A pivot means such as bolt 59 is provided ateach end and passes through `an aperture in the bracket 48 and throughflange 3S of panel 30.

An adjustment arm 52 is pivoted at each end of hood 24 by a pivot boltS4. These adjustment arms extend downwardly and rearwardly and areprovided with slots 56. A bolt '58 passes through each of slots 56l andinto one of a pair of flanges 59 of detlecting panel 46 to provide anadjustment securing means for panel 46 relative to panel 30.

A pair of ywings 60' is provided for constricting thel stream ofmaterial `comin-g from rollers 12 and 114, which wings dependsubstantially vertically from the underside of the panel 2S, as shown inthe drawings. These wings comprise sheet metal panels 62 secured topanel 2S in rearwardly converging relation, in a manner so as to permitfree swinging of the wings in response to the pressure of `the streamsof crop material passing between the wings. The streams are constrictedin lateral dimension by the wings as the windrow is formed.

Wings i60 are of the general shape of a quadrilateral as shown, and eachis provided with an upper horizontal lip 64- to provide the necessarystiffness. A hinge member @d extends the length of the upper edge ofpanel 62 and in this instance is of fabric, rubber, or similar materialthat will llex readily, and which may be chosen to have a desiredydegree of stillness. An angle member or fastening means 68 is providedwhich is secured to the underside of panel 28 by pivot bolts 70' (seeFIG. 2) spaced apart on the order of the lateral dimension of the casing16, and by adjusting bolts 72. Bolts 72 pass through angle member 68 andone of a series of holes 74 which are provided in panel 28j, which, withbolt 749 provide a means for adjusting -the amount ofconvergence ofwings 60 relative to each other and to secure the wings u to the panel2S. Rivets 75 of a suitable number are passed Ithrough hinge 6d, panel6?., and angle member 63, thereby securing these members in one unit.

in summarizing Ithe operation of this device, the machine is transportedforwardly over a iield of mowed crop in the direction of arrow 77 and:the crop is nipped or caught between the rollers 12 and 1d and passedthrough, and in so passing, is bruised or otherwise treated so as tohasten Ithe curing on the field. in Order 'to handle a substantialquantity of the crop, the rollers i2 and 14 are of a considerable lengthresulting in the discharge of a wide stream rearwardly. It is thepurpose of the invention to narrow this stream to form a narrow windrowas the crop is deposited on the ground. The crop which is dischargedupwardly and rearwardly against the underside of hood 2d and pane 46 isdeflected downwardly to the ground. However, in passing from the rollersof this deflecting panel, the crop stream strikes the inner surfaces ofthe rearwardly-converging depending wings 6@ which tend to consolidateand narrow it. As ythe crop emerges from ythe rear edges of wings ed, itwill be cons-tricted and will fall in a deep windrow of restrictedlateral width and one which will be more open and permit wind tto blowythrough laterally, thus assuring that the crop will be more uniformlycured, than one that is permitted, to lie ilat on the ground and onlycure :on the upper surface. in the latter instance, an extra operationof turning is often necessary in order to properly cure such a crop.

The above being a complete `description of an illustratlive embodimentof the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured byLetters Patent of the United States is:

l. in a crop conditioner of the type adapted to advance over a iield ofpreviously harvested crops such as hay and lthe Ilike and havingrelatively wide crop conditioning means transverse Ito the line ofadvance and normally adapted to pick up, condition and discharge cropsupwardly and rearwardly in a streamfof comparable width and acomparab-ly wide upwardly and rearwardly directed hood carried by theconditioner rearwardly ofthe conditioning means yto intercept an-d guidethe discharged crops; the improvement comprising a pair of dependingdeector wings, each having front and rear and top and bottom edgeportions; and

means for mounting the wings on the conditioner in a position dependingfrom rthe underside of said hood `with their front edge portionsrespectively adjacent to opposite outer ends of the conditioner meansand their rear edges upright and closely spaced apar-t transversely sothat the sheets converge rearwardly to direct the rearwardly dischargedcrops into a relatively narrow stream, said mounting means includingfastening means on said hood, hinge means supported by said fasteningmeans and connected fin supporting relation with the top edge portionsof said deector wings, and said fastening means having another positionon said hood for positioning said sheets with their rear edges at a`different spacing whereby to effect an adjustment in the degree ofrearward convergence of the sheets.

2. in a crop conditioner of the type adapted to advance over a field ofpreviously harvested crops such as hay and the like and havingrelatively wide crop conditioning means transverse to the 'line ofadvance and normally adapted `to pick up, condition `and discharge cropsupwardly and rearwardly in a stream of comparable width and a comparablywide upwardly and rearwardly directed hood carried by the conditionerrearwardly of the conditioning means to intercept and guide thedischarged crops, the improvement comprising a pair of de- .pendingldeiiector wings, each having front and rear and tcp and bottom edgeportions; and

means for mounting the Wings on the hood with their front edge portionsrespectively adjacent to opposite outer ends of the conditioner meansand their rear edges upright and closely spaced apart transversely sothat the sheets converge rearwardly to direct the rearwardly `dischargedcrops into a relatively narrow stream, said mounting means includingfastening means on said hood,

hinge means comprising a member of flexible material supported by saidfastening means and connected in supporting relation with the top edgeportions of said deliector wings, and in supported relation with theunderside of said hood.

3. In combination with a crop treating machine having crop treatingelements and a crop discharge region, a

support in said crop Idischarge, region, 'a crop intercepting baieronsaid support,

guide wings spaced lat the sides of said region, and

flexible members connecting said wings with the support 1in' dependingrelation to said support, in converging relation to the crop materialdischarging ythrough said discharge region, and positioned to engage thecrop material between said crop treating elements and said cropintercepting bacle, land said flexible members being of a degree ofstiffness to permit said wings to be forced apart to accom-modateabnormally heavy streams of material.

4. In combination with a crop treating machine having crop treatingelements I'and a crop discharge region, a

hood in said crop discharge region disposed above a stream of cropmaterial discharging through said crop discharge region,

Iguide wings spaced at the sides of said region, and

hinge means connecting said wings with the underside of the hood independing relation to said hood, in converging relation to the cropmaterial discharging through said `discharge region, land positioned toengage Ithe Icrop material between them and to be forced apart toaccommodate abnormally heavy streams of crop material.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,911,780 Brady NOV. 10, 1959 2,915,869 Coultas Dec. 8, 1959 2,918,776Coultas Dec. 29, 1959

1. IN A CROP CONDITIONER OF THE TYPE ADAPTED TO ADVANCE OVER A FIELD OFPREVIOUSLY HARVESTED CROPS SUCH AS HAY AND THE LIKE HAVING RELATIVELYWIDE CROP CONDITIONING MEANS TRANSVERSE TO THE LINE OF ADVANCE ANDNORMALLY ADAPTED TO PICK UP, CONDITION AND DISCHARGE CROPS UPWARDLY ANDREARWARDLY IN A STREAM OF COMPARABLE WIDTH AND A COMPARABLY WIDEUPWARDLY AND REARWARDLY DIRECTED HOOD CARRIED BY THE CONDITIONERREARWARDLY OF THE CONDITIONING MEANS TO INTERCEPT AND GUIDE THEDISCHARGED CROPS; THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING A PAIR OF DEPENDINGDEFLECTOR WINGS, EACH HAVING FRONT AND REAR AND TOP AND BOTTOM EDGEPORTIONS; AND MEANS FOR MOUNTING THE WINGS ON THE CONDITIONER IN APOSITION DEPENDING FROM THE UNDERSIDE OF SAID HOOD WITH THEIR FRONT EDGEPORTIONS RESPECTIVELY ADJACENT TO OPPOSITE OUTER ENDS OF THE CONDITIONERMEANS AND THEIR REAR EDGES UPRIGHT AND CLOSELY SPACED APART TRANSVERSELYSO THAT THE SHEETS CONVERGE REARWARDLY TO DIRECT THE REARWARDLYDISCHARGED CROPS INTO A RELATIVELY NARROW STREAM, SAID MOUNTING MEANSINCLUDING FASTENING MEANS ON SAID HOOD, HINGE MEANS SUPPORTED BY SAIDFASTENING MEANS AND CONNECTED IN SUPPORTING RELATION WITH THE TOP EDGEPORTIONS OF SAID DEFLECTOR WINGS, AND SAID FASTENING MEANS HAVINGANOTHER POSITION ON SAID HOOD FOR POSITIONING SAID SHEETS WITH THEIRREAR EDGES AT A DIFFERENT SPACING WHEREBY TO EFFECT AN ADJUSTMENT IN THEDEGREE OF REARWARD CONVERGENCE OF THE SHEETS.